Call for proposals 2026
The Media, Communication and Sport (MCS) Section invites the submission of abstracts for its 2026 conference, to be held from 28 June to 2 July 2026 in Galway, Ireland, hosted by the University of Galway.
The deadline for submission is 3 February 2026 at 23:59 UTC.
Download this call for papers as a PDF file
Theme
IAMCR conferences cover a wide range of topics defined by our thematic Sections and Working Groups (S/WG). Each year, a central theme invites participants to engage in shared reflection across these diverse areas, fostering dialogue and collaboration.
The 2026 central theme, Peripheries and Connections: Media, Communication, and Transformation, addresses the complexities of contemporary media systems in a polarised and interconnected world. By interrogating the tensions between centrality and marginality—whether geographical, cultural, political, or conceptual—this theme aligns with IAMCR’s commitment to fostering critical and inclusive dialogues across diverse perspectives.
Consult a detailed description of the main theme
The Media, Communication and Sport Section has traditionally been a platform for inter/trans/multi-disciplinary inspired work and we encourage such papers again. We invite submissions from all theoretical and methodological perspectives. In 2026, we particularly welcome contributions that bridge the study of media, communication and sport and the conference’s central theme.
Authors should consider any of the ideas listed below as relevant to the Media, Communication and Sport Section. This list does not exhaust the potential categories of submissions. Some of the topics that may be addressed are:
- Sporting mega-events: politics, production, representation, and consumption
- Media, sport, and cultural citizenship
- Diversity, inclusiveness, and respect in sports communication: Gender, media and sport, Sporting masculinities/femininities, Race and ethnicity portrayals in media, Minority sports, Disability sport, Sexual diversity, Sport and social inclusion, Sports communication and the promotion of minority and minoritized languages
- Evolution of the sports media rights market in the age of media portals
- The role of emerging technologies in sport communication: digital and mobile media, eSports, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality, and beyond
- Social networking sites and their use by athletes, fans, media, and professional sports organisations
- New trends and challenges in the global sport media ecosystem
- Sport, sustainability, and the communication of environmental issues
- Ethics and accountability in sports journalism
- Innovations and developments in sports journalism
- Crisis communication and image repair in sport
- Media, communication, and sport in Ireland
All papers, from the full range of perspectives on the study of Media, Communication and Sport will be considered.
Guidelines for abstracts
Abstracts for papers to be presented in person should be between 800 and 1000 words. They must be submitted exclusively through IAMCR’s submission system from 28 November 2025 through 3 February 2026 at 23:59 UTC. Abstracts submitted by email will not be considered.
It is expected that each person will submit only one abstract. However, no author’s name should appear on more than two abstracts, either individually or as part of any group of authors and authors should not submit more than one abstract to any single Section or Working Group. The same abstract, or a version with minor variations in title or content, must not be submitted to more than one Section or Working Group. Such submissions will be deemed to be in breach of the conference guidelines and will be rejected. Authors submitting the same work to multiple Sections or Working Groups may be removed entirely from the conference programme.
Evaluation criteria
Submitted abstracts will generally be evaluated on the basis of:
- Technical merit
- Readability
- Originality and/or significance
- Use of or contribution to theory
- Depth of knowledge of the research, theory and/or literature related to the proposed topic as evidenced in the submission
- • Relevance to the work of the Media, Communication and Sport section and current trends or controversies in its field
Acceptance of proposals may also be conditioned by programme diversity and balance criteria.
Languages
The Media, Communication and Sport section only accepts and programmes sessions in English.
Statement on use of AI tools
IAMCR does not encourage or condone the use of generative AI tools to prepare abstracts submitted for consideration for our conferences. IAMCR values originality, integrity, and transparency in academic work, and believes that human-authored contributions best support rigorous and innovative scholarship in media and communication research. Should an author choose to use a generative AI tool in the preparation of an abstract, we require that they include a clear statement within their submission disclosing the tool's use. This statement must specify: (1) the name of any AI tool used; (2) how the tool was used in preparing the abstract, and; (3) the reason for using the tool. Failure to disclose the use of generative AI in accordance with these guidelines may impact the evaluation and acceptance of the submission.
Intention to attend
Each abstract submitted to IAMCR represents a real cost to the Association and contributes to the workload of volunteer reviewers and organisers. As the number of submissions each year far exceeds the available presentation slots, we ask authors to submit only if they genuinely intend to attend and present their work at the conference if accepted.
Deadlines and key dates
The deadline to submit proposals is 3 February 2026, at 23:59 UTC. Other key dates. Dates are subject to change.
About the Media, Communication and Sport Section
Learn more about the work and scope of the Media, Communication and Sport Section.
Contact the Section
For further information about the Media, Communication and Sport section, its themes and submissions please contact the section management:
Co-chair: Peter English, PhD, School of Business and Creative Industries, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, PEnglish(at)usc.edu.au
Co-chair: Xavier Ramon, PhD, Department of Communication, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain, xavier.ramon(at)upf.edu
Vice Chair: Veronika Macková, PhD, Department of Journalism, Charles University, Czech Republic, veronika.mackova(at)fsv.cuni.cz
